The Fantastic Four are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We don’t know when and we don’t know how, but the Fantastic Four are coming. Marvel Studios President and Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige has said as much. And when the rebooted Fantastic Four arrives in the MCU, it will need a new group of actors to portray Marvel’s first family and fans have plenty of ideas about who could rock the “4” on their chest. See how Zac Efron could look as the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch below:
If we didn’t know any better, this fan art would be pretty indiscernible from actual concept art for the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut. This work envisions Zac Efron as a silver-haired Johnny Storm and makes a convincing case for the actor to make the transition from starring in musicals and comedies into becoming a full on action star.
Zac Efron has already shown that he can get into superhero shape when the situation calls for it, as he’s done in the Neighbors films and Baywatch, so he could definitely look the part rocking the suit. Speaking of the suit, BossLogic did more than simply trying to make the Human Torch’s Fantastic Four suit look cool. The artist also endeavored to take functionality into account when designing the costume worn by Zac Efron’s Johnny Storm.
The super suit has a unique design and texture that is slightly different than what we’ve seen from other MCU heroes’ attire, while still totally looking like it would fit within the MCU’s style. This particular design, which could be the work of Tony Stark, Shuri or Reed Richards, is also designed to take advantage of the Human Torch’s powers. It has flame vents and tubes and heat mesh to help distribute the heat and allow the flames to exit the suit.
All of this would allow the character to utilize his powers without needing a fresh pair of clothes every time he shouted ‘flame on!’ BossLogic’s design also incorporates gauntlets into the costume, which would help the Human Torch to focus his flames into more precise blasts.
The coolest part about this design is the way that you can see the heat and fire emanating from the suit before the character fully ignites. It’s an awesome look that shows the power lurking beneath the surface, and it would probably look amazing onscreen in a future MCU film. Hopefully, the Human Torch looks this good when he makes his MCU debut, whether Zac Efron plays him or not.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Zac Efron has been fan cast as a superhero. The actor, who first broke out in the Disney Channel Original Film High School Musical, has been suggested for multiple roles across the DC and Marvel spectrum. Zac Efron has been fan cast as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner, as well as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Others have imagined Zac Efron as Wolverine in the MCU or Nightwing in a future DC film, but, personally, I think that the Human Torch is the perfect role for him. Zac Efron has also shown his range in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, but in general his onscreen persona is very Johnny Storm-esque. So, we know he can pull off the cocky and reckless dude with a good heart, no problem.
We don’t know when the Fantastic Four will make their MCU debut, but Phase 4 of the MCU begins next year. Check out all of the biggest movies headed to theaters next year in our 2020 Release Schedule.